TALENTED apprentice jockey Tyler Schiller will resist the temptation of returning home for the final two meetings of the season in a bid to win the Southern District Racing Association (SDRA) jockey's premiership.
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Blaike McDougall holds a three-win lead over Schiller and is set to win his second consecutive SDRA title.
McDougall is suspended for the remainder of the month, while Schiller moved to Sydney to join the Mark Newnham stable two weeks ago.
Schiller was approached by his old boss Phil Sweeney to return for Sunday's Cup meeting at Narrandera but the promising young apprentice has decided against the travel.
He also ruled out a return for the Leeton meeting on July 21.
"I did get offered from Phil to go to Narrandera but it's just too far so no I won't be going to those meetings," Schiller said.
McDougall and Schiller have cleared out, with Brodie Loy a further 16 wins behind in third place.
Schiller will win the apprentice title.
Trevor Sutherland is on his way to a sixth SDRA trainer's premiership and is 19 clear of the Hayes Dabernig stable.
Sweeney and Mitch Beer are still in contention for second.
TRAINERS
T Sutherland 45
Hayes & Dabernig 26
P Sweeney 25
M Beer 24
G Colvin 15
JOCKEYS
B McDougall 59
T Schiller (a) 56
B Loy 40
S Miller 25
K Nisbet 21
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NARRANDERA Race Club will host its Cup meeting on Sunday.
The $32,000 Leeton Toyota Narrandera Cup (1600m) has attracted just 12 nomination, even after entries were extended for an extra 24 hours.
The Todd Smart-trained Great Glen has been given the top weight of 61 kilograms, with the likes of Hirokin, Gentleman Max, Monkery and Gunga Din also among the nominations.
The fields come out on Thursday.
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THE Southern District's chances of a Kosciuszko victory have been boosted by the withdrawal of race favourite Snitz.
Trainer Matthew Dunn decided to spell the horse after his ninth-placed finish in the Ramornie at Grafton last week.
It means that the Geoff Duryea-trained Front Page is now the outright favourite for the $1.3 million feature at $4.50 with TAB.
Southern District-trained horses fill four of the top nine positions in the TAB market, a phenomenal feat for a region that if often referred to as one of the weaker areas in NSW.
Lord Von Costa is into $9, News Girl is $11 and Redouble remains at $15.
Redouble came into work for Albury trainer Mitch Beer this week ahead of the feature at Randwick on October 17.
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FORMER Wagga Town Plate Prelude winner Takookacod has changed stables.
Owner Noel Penfold sold the mare after her seventh placing at Kembla Grange last Thursday.
The five-year-old has been purchased by clients of the Norm Loy stable and will join the Albury trainer.
Takookacod won five of her 28 starts for Penfold and trainer Scott Spackman, and earned over $100,000 in prizemoney.
She won the 2018 Wagga Town Plate Prelude (1200m) as a three-year-old and went on to run sixth in the feature sprint behind Coolring.
She was also only beaten four lengths in a group two race at Warwick Farm.
Penfold, who enjoyed a winner at Wagga on Tuesday with Crocodile Cod, said Takookacod had become too hard to place.
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THE abandonment of Warwick Farm's meeting on Wednesday was a frustrating one for Mitch Beer.
He was just outside of Sydney, with Zaberfeldie and Jawwaal, when he heard the news.
The pair were both set to compete at Warwick Farm, with Zaberfeldie in the 3YO Benchmark 66 Handicap (1400m) and Jawwaal in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m).
The meeting was called off as a precautionary measure due to a number of positive COVID-19 cases recorded near Warwick Farm.
Both horses have now accepted at Dubbo on Friday.
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ALBURY jockey Brodie Loy is off to town on Saturday.
Loy will partner the highly-promising Mr Magical in the $75,000 TAB Highway Handicap (1100m) at Randwick on the Kensington track.
Loy has been aboard both Mr Magical's wins to date and will be looking to make it three from three on Saturday.
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PROMISING Wagga galloper Zakeriz certainly lost no admirers at Rosehill last Saturday.
Trainer Chris Hardy must have been delighted with Zakeriz's second placing behind Rothenburg in the Highway Handicap (1400m).
In the space of six weeks, Zakeriz has gone from a maiden returning from 12 months off with a tendon injury to winning two in a row and running second in town.
The only sour note was a suspension to jockey Richard Bensley from the ride.
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THE final race meeting of the Southern District season has been transferred.
Corowa was set to hold a TAB meeting on Monday week, July 27 but it has now been transferred to Leeton.
The biggest distance change was that of the Open Handicap, which has been reduced from 1400m to 1150m.
The meeting was moved due to the current circumstances with COVID-19 around the border.
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WHAT'S ON
GALLOPS
Sunday: Narrandera (TAB)
TROTS
Friday: Wagga (TAB)
Tuesday: Leeton (TAB)
DOGS
Friday: Wagga (TAB)
